Violin shoulder rest

ABSTRACT

A shoulder rest for violins, violas or the like, which is secured to the instrument by a clamp plate of a conventional chin rest. The shoulder rest includes a mounting plate received in secured relation between the clamp plate and the back of the instrument, an arm, a resilient shoulder rest element removably secured to the arm and formed of a semi-cylindrical sheet of material filled with a solid pad of cushion material, and means detachably connecting the arm to the mounting plate.

United States Patent [191 111 3,727,509 Henkle [451 A r. 1 7, 1973 41 VIOLIN SHOULDER REST [76] Inventor: Theodore Henkle, 5415 Reynolds wllkmsm Street, Savannah, Ga. 31402 Assistant Examiner-Lawrence R. Franklin AttorneyAllison C. Collard [22] Filed: July 22, 1971 21 App]. No.: 165,105 [57] ABSIRACT A shoulder rest for violins, violas or the like, which is secured to the instrument by a clamp plate of a con- [ZF C(il venfion a1 chin rest. The Shoulder rest includes a d 280 281 mounting plate received in secured relation between 1 o m the clamp plate and the back of the instrument, an arm, a resilient shoulder rest element removably [56] References C'ted secured to the arm and formed of a semi-cylindrical UNITED STATES PATENTS sheet of material filled with a solid pad of cushion material, and means detachably connecting the arm to 932,844 8/1909 Beisheim ..84/280 the mounting plate. 1,971,552 8/1934 Fisher 1,416,644 5/1922 Jordan ..84/278 6 Claim, 9 Drawing Figures PATENIEI] APR 1 H873 SHEET 1 OF 3 INV THEODORE ENTOR. ENKLE ATTORNEY PATENTED 3.727. 509

SHEET 2 OF 3 w m|||||| L 35 KZQFIG. a

-33 32 I I" K3 INVENTOR. THEODORE HENKLE WQM ATTORNEY PATENTEBAFP. 1 71873 SHEET 3 BF 3 INVENTOR. THEODORE HENKLE ATTORNEY This invention relates to a shoulder rest for violins, violas and the like.

More specifically, this invention relates to a shoulder rest for stringed instruments which includes a compressible shoulder rest element suitably supported for positioning between the back of the instrument and the shoulder section of the player to provide a lively resilience enabling the player to support the instrument with little or no effort.

Theoretically, a violin or viola player should be able to support the instrument between his chin and shoulder blade by merely exerting a downward pressure on the chin rest of the instrument. However, because of the various differences in human anatomy, the distance from the shoulder blade to the chin of the player varies quite widely among individuals, and in attempts to compensate for this variation, the musician has had to resort to unsuitable or unsuccessful means to decrease this distance. One of these methods has been to use soft cloth pads, and pile them up on the shoulder of the player until the instrument has been raised a suitable distance. Other musicians have tried cloth handkerchiefs stuffed between the instrument and the shoulder in order to facilitate easy support of the instrument. Both of these methods are obviously awkward and unsuitable, since the pile of pads or handkerchiefs may easily slip from beneath the instrument, and they further do not provide a rigid support for the instrument as is needed. Moreover, any pad that touches the body of the violine will dampen the sound of the instrument.

The shoulder rest of the present invention acts somewhat like the fulcrum or the pivot of a lever, where the power is multiplied for the purpose of moving a heavy object. The chin of the player corresponds to the heavy object and the shoulder rest to the fulcrum or pivot which keeps the neck of the instrument elevated to a desired height by a modest down pressure on the chin rest of the instrument. The shoulder rest of the present invention is essentially an elongated spring rest which provides resilience and compressive action, and consists of a semi-cylindrical member formed of flexible sheet material filled with compressible cushion material, such as foam rubber. When not in use, the shoulder rest is generally semi-circular in cross section; however, while in use, it becomes somewhat elliptical in cross section as a result of pressure exerted against the shoulder section of the player. The shoulder rest is supported on an arm which is secured to the instrument by the clamping assembly associated with the conventional chin rest, and the arrangement is such that no part of the shoulder rest except the mounting plate touches the instrument, thus enabling the back of the instrument to freely vibrate and give forth its maximum volume of sound. The arm may be mounted in a plurality of recesses provided in the mounting plate, and the compressible pad and semi-cylindrical sheet shoulder rest has both rotational adjustments about and longitudinal adjustments along the arm, in order to enable one assembly to fit a user of any size or age.

It is therefore an object according to the present invention to provide a novel compressible shoulder rest element for violins, violas and the like, which is suitably supported for positioning between the back of the instrument and the shoulder section of the player in order that the instrument may be supported by the player with little or no effort.

It is also an object according to the present invention to provide a shoulder rest element for violins, violas and the like, which is simple in design, easy to manufacture and efficient and reliable in operation.

Other objects and features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description considered in connection with the accompanying drawings. It is to be understood, however, that the drawings are designed for the purpose of illustration only and not as a definition of the limits of the invention.

In the drawings, wherein similar reference characters denote similar elements throughout the several views:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a violin fitted with a shoulder rest constructed in accordance with the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a partial cross sectional view of the shoulder rest of FIG. 1 taken along section 22;

FIG. 3 is a partial exploded cross-sectional view ofthe shoulder rest and arm of FIG. 2 taken along section 3-3;

FIG. 4 is a partial top view of the shoulder rest of the present invention mounted on the back of a violin as shown in FIG. 1;

FIG. 5 shows a partial cross sectional view of the shoulder rest arm in FIG. 4 showing the shoulder rest in its pulled-away position from the arm which enables it to be moved longitudinally along the arm;

FIG. 6 is a partial exploded cross sectional view of the shoulder rest arm and mounting plate coupling of FIG. 2 taken along section 6-6;

FIG. 7 is a partial cross-sectional view of the coupling assembly of FIG. 6 taken along section 77 showing the mounting recess provided in the mounting plate;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view of the shoulder rest taken along section 8-8 of FIG. 5; and

FIG. 9 is a cross-sectional view of the shoulder rest taken along section 99 of FIG. 5.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a shoulder rest consisting of a mounting plate 10 having arm 11 movably attached thereto, and mounting recesses 12. A semi-cylindrical resilient sheet member 13 is movably coupled to arm 11 longitudinal slot 14 which consists of a plurality of overlapping circular apertures 15. A compressible pad 16, consisting of, for example, foam rubber, is disposed within member 13. Mounting plate 10 is slightly convex in shape as illustrated by the dotted lines in FIG. 1 before it is clamped onto the back of the violin. This ensures that the ends of the mounting plate will not bend away from the back of the violin when pressure is applied to the center of the plate by clamp 19. The pad is preferably shaped as a truncated cone as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9 to allow adjustment of the shoulder rest for a comfortable fit. The violin player thus may rotate the shoulder rest so that the thicker end of the shoulder rest points in the direction most comfortable for the particular person.

The shoulder rest is secured to back 17 of violin 18 by bottom clamp 19 which extends over the margin of the back of the violin and which is attached to conventional violin chin rest 20 by means of turnbuckle members 21. Mounting plate is provided with a slightly convex channel and a flange 22 which is positioned between violin back 17 and clamp 20 in order to prevent the clamp from slipping off the plate and thereby secure the shoulder rest to the violin. Pad 23, comprising such material as cork or foam rubber, is secured to the back of plate 10 in order to prevent injury to the violin back and to enable the mounting plate and shoulder rest to be adjusted laterally along the violin back to accommodate the comfort and physical characteristics of the player. Mounting plate 10 also has one or more transverse recesses 12 which enable lateral adjustment of the position of arm 11. These recesses in addition to the lateral sliding ability of plate l0'enable the shoulder rest to be adjusted to the desires of any particular player.

Arm 1 1 is provided with a bevelled end 24 so that the arm may be received by mounting recesses 12, which are shown as being dove-tail shaped, and thus be secured to mounting plate 10. As shown in FIGS. 4, 6, and 7, end 24 of arm 11 is provided with a U-shaped recess 25 in which a flexible U-shaped member 26 is rigidly secured by a rivet 25a. Member 26 is also pro- .vided with semi-circular extensions 27 which serve to secure end 24 in recess 12 by engaging with outer surface 28 of mounting plate 10. Member 26 is flexible so that as end 24 is pushed into recess 12, extensions 27 will slide along the inside walls of the recess until they reach the end of the recess where they will snap into position to secure the arm. In order to remove the arm from the recess, extensions 27 are compressed as shown in dotted lines of FIGS. 6 and 7 in order to disengage members 27 from the surface of the mounting plate. The end 24 of arm 11 may then be easily removed.

Arm 11 may be formed, for example, from a strip of sheet metal, and is bent so that end portion 24 is offset from arm 11. Arm 11 is provided with a plurality of overlapping circular apertures which extend longitudinally along the length of arm 11. Behind apertures 15, there is provided a longitudinal slot 29 which receives circular disc 30 which is secured to resilient member 13 by means of screw 31.

As shown in detail in FIGS. 3 and 5, resilient member 13 is provided with cylindrical extension 32 having tapered disc 33 provided on the top surface thereof. Both disc 33 and apertures 15 are notched so that when disc 33 is received by. an aperture, the notches will mesh and prevent the shoulder rest from rotational movement. Screw 31 extends down through the center of cylindrical extension 32 into recess 34 which contains coil spring 35. Bolt 31 extends down through the center spring 35 and through the center of disc 36. Nut

'37 on the end of bolt 31 retains disc 36 beneath coil spring 35. With this arrangement, the shoulder rest may be pulled perpendicular to the arm out of circular apertures 15 as indicated by dotted lines in FIG. 2. During this movement, coil spring 35 will be compressed, and disc 33 will be removed from aperture 15 as shown in FIG. 5 so that disc 30 will be free to move up and down slot 29 of arm 11 to an appropriate aperture comfortable for the player of the violin. While the shoulder rest is in this extended position, it may be moved rotatably about screw 31 in order to further adjust the shoulder rest for the players comfort. When it is released and tapered disc 33 engages aperture 15, the teeth provided on both of these elements will mesh, and the shoulder rest will be secured in the desired position.

When the violin is being played, the pressure exerted by the player will cause the resilient sheet member and cushion material to take on an elliptical shape, as illustrated in FIG. 2. When not in use, however, the shoulder rest will return to its normal, substantially cylindrical shape.

While only a few embodiments of the present invention have been shown and described, it will be understood that many changes and modifications may be made thereunto without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

1. In a violin, viola, or the like, provided with a chin rest having a supporting clamp engaging the instrument back, a shoulder rest, comprising:

a mounting plate received in secured relation between the supporting clamp and the instrument back;

an arm detachably coupled to said mounting plate, having a longitudinal slot within said arm and a plurality of overlapping apertures extending along the length thereof, said apertures tapering inwardly and opening into said longitudinal slot;

a shoulder rest element, including a sheet of flexible material having compressible cushion material disposed thereon, and a tapered member affixed to the top surface thereof which is adapted to be received by said apertures; and

coupling means for movably connecting shoulder rest element to said arm.

2. The shoulder rest as recited in claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprises a first disc positioned in the longitudinal slot of said arm,

a coil spring disposed within a recess provided in said shoulder rest,

a second disc positioned within the recess below said coil spring, and

a nut and bolt for connecting said first and second discs, said bolt extending through the center of said first disc, through said tapered member affixed to said shoulder rest element, and through said coil spring and said second disc, so that said shoulder rest is slidable along the length of said bolt and'rotatable about said bolt, so that'said shoulder rest may be'moved longitudinally along the length of said slot and rotatably about said arm. I

3. The shoulder rest as recited in claim 2, wherein said apertures and said tapered member affixed to said sheet are provided with a plurality of notches which mesh when said tapered member is received by said apertures and allow said shoulder rest to be received in locking engagement with said arm, thereby preventing rotational movement of said shoulder rest after its desired position is selected.

4. The shoulder rest as recited in claim 3, wherein said mounting plate is provided with a plurality of dovetail shaped recesses, and wherein said arm is provided with a tapered end portion adapted to be received by said recesses and having a U-shaped groove provided therein in which a flexible U-shaped member having said . the back of the instrument and a flange affixed to the mounting plate so as to form a longitudinal track in which the supporting clamp is engaged, so as to enable said mounting plate to be moved slidably along the back of the instrument.

6. The shoulder rest as recited in claim 4, wherein said arm is bent so that the end portion received by said mounting plate is offset from that portion of the arm containing said longitudinal slot and apertures, so that said arm and said shoulder rest are secured at an angle to the back of the instrument. 

1. In a violin, viola, or the like, provided with a chin rest having a supporting clamp engaging the instrument back, a shoulder rest, comprising: a mounting plate received in secured relation between the supporting clamp and the instrument back; an arm detachably coupled to said mounting plate, having a longitudinal slot within saiD arm and a plurality of overlapping apertures extending along the length thereof, said apertures tapering inwardly and opening into said longitudinal slot; a shoulder rest element, including a sheet of flexible material having compressible cushion material disposed thereon, and a tapered member affixed to the top surface thereof which is adapted to be received by said apertures; and coupling means for movably connecting said shoulder rest element to said arm.
 2. The shoulder rest as recited in claim 1, wherein said coupling means comprises a first disc positioned in the longitudinal slot of said arm, a coil spring disposed within a recess provided in said shoulder rest, a second disc positioned within the recess below said coil spring, and a nut and bolt for connecting said first and second discs, said bolt extending through the center of said first disc, through said tapered member affixed to said shoulder rest element, and through said coil spring and said second disc, so that said shoulder rest is slidable along the length of said bolt and rotatable about said bolt, so that said shoulder rest may be moved longitudinally along the length of said slot and rotatably about said arm.
 3. The shoulder rest as recited in claim 2, wherein said apertures and said tapered member affixed to said sheet are provided with a plurality of notches which mesh when said tapered member is received by said apertures and allow said shoulder rest to be received in locking engagement with said arm, thereby preventing rotational movement of said shoulder rest after its desired position is selected.
 4. The shoulder rest as recited in claim 3, wherein said mounting plate is provided with a plurality of dove-tail shaped recesses, and wherein said arm is provided with a tapered end portion adapted to be received by said recesses and having a U-shaped groove provided therein in which a flexible U-shaped member having semi-circular extensions affixed to the ends thereof is rigidly secured for securing said arm in said mounting plate.
 5. The shoulder rest as recited in claim 4, wherein said mounting plate further comprises a thin sheet of cushioning material affixed to the back surface thereof so as to prevent said mounting plate from scratching the back of the instrument and a flange affixed to the mounting plate so as to form a longitudinal track in which the supporting clamp is engaged, so as to enable said mounting plate to be moved slidably along the back of the instrument.
 6. The shoulder rest as recited in claim 4, wherein said arm is bent so that the end portion received by said mounting plate is offset from that portion of the arm containing said longitudinal slot and apertures, so that said arm and said shoulder rest are secured at an angle to the back of the instrument. 